Our immune system is a network of biological processes that protect us from diseases. But is not unique to humans though. Most forms of life have a similar facility. Even bacteria have enzymes to protect them from viruses. Higher order species including humans have innate and adaptive subsystems of immunity. But only vaccines prepare immune systems to fight specific future infections.
More About the Innate and Adaptive Subsystems of Immunity
1… Our innate immune system recognizes disease-causing pathogens at a basic level using pattern-recognition receptors. Although it may also respond to alarm calls from damaged, injured or stressed cells. However, our innate immune capability is limited, because it responds in a generic way regardless of the invader infection.
2… But our adaptive immune system is far more advanced. That’s because it remembers each disease-causing pathogen it encounters. This empowers it to react to a known invader in a more goal-directed fashion, on the basis of data in its immune memory cells. This should in turn enable it to quickly detect, and eliminate the invader.
Causes of Disorders in Our Immune System
The biological processes driving innate and adaptive subsystems of our immunity require proper sustenance to function optimally. Although they age with us alongside the rest of our bodies too. Immunodeficiencies occur when parts of our immune systems deactivate for a variety of reasons.
1… Malnutrition – being imbalance of energy, protein or other nutrients – is the commonest cause of immunodeficiency in developing countries.
2… While residents in developed countries are more likely to develop immunodeficiency from obesity, drug, or alcohol abuse.
Various medications are available to treat abnormalities in our innate and adaptive subsystems of immunity. Some of these control excessive responses and over-inflammation. Vaccines on the other hand tackle the challenge at the front end. That’s because they empower the adaptive system to make infection-specific responses to the pathogen in question.
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Preview Image: The Primary Immune Response
